Taichi Kamiya had never understood the fuss over Valentine's Day, or rather, the romantic fuss. Of course, most people within families gave each other chocolate just because they had an excuse, and that didn't bother him at all, but why girls had to get so emotional was beyond him. Until this year. Over the summer, he had fallen deeply in love--well, as deeply as a fourteen-year-old could fall--with her. Sora Takenouchi. She was pretty, she was smart, she was fun and funny, she looked out for others before herself. They'd gone through quite a lot together, and so, this Valentine's Day, he was hoping he would be lucky enough to get a gift. But, he worried that she might chicken out. So he had come to school prepared. He bought a beautiful yellow rose on the way to school, and was now outside, hastily scribbling a note--"Don't Be Afraid". He stuck the stem of the rose through the notebook paper so it wouldn't fall off. Then he hurried inside before Sora showed up. He went to her locker and threaded it through the vent so it would be right there on the door. He adjusted his note so she'd spot it quickly and ran before anyone started spreading the rumor that he'd done it--and you never knew, the hallways were starting to fill up. Maybe Sora would be encouraged and admit that she liked him--he knew she did. On the other hand, maybe she didn't have a present for him. Maybe she didn't like him. Maybe she'd think it was so unlike Taichi that she'd guess it was from someone else and not give Taichi his present so she wouldn't hurt the other person's feelings. Maybe she'd guess it was from someone else and give the present she'd originally meant for Taichi to the other guy! Taichi was about to go to her locker and take it back when she showed up. He immediately began fumbling with his own locker so he could hide behind it and still listen.

Hikari had no reason to get to school early, so she'd ridden the bus. Today was Valentine's Day. She had never really participated in it before. She knew that in America, you gave corny little cards to your whole class, but in Japan, you only gave them to people you were close to. She usually got a little box of chocolates from her brother just because he was a sweet sibling, and she gave a box to him and her daddy. But this year--things had changed. They'd spent their summer in the Digital World. She'd made some very close friends--one more so than anyone else. And so, today, she was giving him a box of chocolate. Not because she loved him--she was only eleven, for pity's sake!--but because he was a very dear, close friend, and she wanted to make him happy. She patted her backpack pocket. It was still there. She'd give it to him after the last class of the day.

Sora and Mimi had walked to school together. Sora was laughing over a joke Mimi had told her when she saw her locker. She turned to Mimi. "Oh, look...how beautiful!" "It's yellow..." Mimi said, wrinkling her nose. "Not everyone likes pink, you know." "Even if I didn't, it's still the Valentine color..." "I think that if a guy is trying to impress a girl, he should get her what she likes." "Well, in that case, I guess whoever sent this did a good job for you..." Sora smiled. "Hey, Mimi, there's a note. 'Don't be afraid'. I think I know who sent this." Mimi giggled. "Who?" Sora looked around. She caught Taichi's eye, and Taichi immediately looked away and tried to watch through the vent on his own locker. She leaned over and whispered in Mimi's ear. "Tai..." Mimi gasped. "Really?! Do you like him?" Sora blushingly nodded. "Did you get him a--" "Yeah...I wasn't sure I was going to give it to him, but now I know I will. Any guy who's bold enough to admit that he wants a valentine deserves it in my book." The two girls headed off for their first class, Sora carrying her rose atop her books.

Taichi heaved a sigh of relief. He grabbed his books and headed for the same class. Well, he'd done it right. Now all he had to do was hope that Sora knew it was from him.

Sora knew. Taichi Kamiya. It was very like him, telling her not to be afraid. How many times had he said that very thing in the Digital World? So protective, and yet...so...encouraging. This was the first year she'd bought a present for a guy. She'd never fallen in love before, nor had she been looking to when she had. That's how she knew it was real--she hadn't been trying to get a boyfriend, for social status or any other reason. It had just happened. And now, this holiday conveniently came around to give her a good reason to tell him she liked him. His present--a silly action figure and a small box of chocolates--was tucked away in her backpack until after school. She wanted to be alone with him--there was stuff to talk about, stuff she didn't want to share with anyone but him...

Mimi sat in her first classroom of the day, waiting for the teacher to show up. Or even some other students. Valentine's Day...she'd given a valentine to some guy every year since she'd started school. In kindergarten, it was the adorable kid who could make playdough people and swallowed a quarter. Third grade was the boy who could do all kinds of yo-yo tricks. Sixth grade, it was the only boy in class who used gel in his hair. It had never been the same person twice in a row. And always, always, the most eligible bachelor in class by that class's standards. She'd never gotten a boyfriend from giving a valentine, though. The trouble with giving your valentine to the most popular boy in class was that he had at least fifteen other girls giving him valentines, too. And the boy always chose someone else over Mimi. It wasn't that Mimi wasn't popular. Ask any girl, Mimi was the most popular girl in school! But guys tended to shy away from her. Not because she wasn't pretty--all the guys agreed that she was definitely a looker--but because she was different. She had quirky little "eccentricities", and most guys preferred her less hyper friends. Now, however, she was in ninth grade, and things were all changed. She wasn't giving her valentine to a popular boy. All her friends would think she was crazy. He wasn't in her class, not even in her grade. He was two years older than her! But, during her time in the DigiWorld, she'd fallen completely, totally, head-over-heels for him. Jyou Kido. He was studious, focused on grades, somewhat of a dork--at least when it came to fashion. But Mimi liked him. The way he could be such a chicken, but always came through, the way he chewed on a pencil when he was trying to think, the way he... The way he cared about her. Mimi was quite sure he cared about her. He'd gone along with her when she'd run from the group, tired of fighting. He was concerned about her, at the very least. But the whole group worried about her, and he was the only one who got up the guts to tag along with her and make sure she stayed safe. She certainly hoped he cared about her, at least as much as she cared about him.

Jyou Kido sat in his second class for the day. He was checking over his homework. Or, at least, he was trying to. He couldn't focus. He knew, quite well, what day it was. He often got picked on the day after because nobody ever gave him a present. Not beaten up, just teased. Who wrote the law that said if you focused on grades and not girls, you were a loser? Oh well. He could always take comfort in the thought that in fifteen years, girls would flock to him and his doctor's salary, while his classmates would be pumping gas because of their "F" report cards, living on welfare because of the muscles they strained in their all-important sports, or working their way up the corporate ladder leaving no time for relationships. It was kind of sad, though, that finally, he at least wanted a present this year, and there was no way he'd get it. He wasn't into girls in general, but, there was one special girl. That was the trouble. She was too special. Lots of guys liked her, she liked popular guys, so she'd probably be some jock's "perfect match" by the end of the day. Jyou sighed. He knew that his income and career hinged on getting good grades and becoming a doctor, but why did his social life and marriage potential have to follow suit?

Yamato sat at lunch with Taichi. Taichi was complaining about his girl troubles. "Matt, I don't get it. She said she was going to give it to who she thought it was from. Do you think she thinks it came from someone else?" Yamato sighed. "Tai, she likes you. It's obvious to everyone except you that she's carrying a torch for you. If you haven't gotten your little present yet, it probably means that she's waiting until you're alone with her, or at least until after school, or something special." "You think?" "Well, if she told Mimi that she likes whoever gave it to her, we know she knows you gave it to her, because we know she likes you. She told Mimi that she would give it to who she likes. I predict you have a girlfriend by dinnertime." "Really?" Yamato sighed. Why was this so hard to get through his head? "I'd be willing to put money on it." "How much you got?" "Figure of speech, I'm broke, and besides, would you want her to find out you put money on her once she is your girlfriend?" "No, but how would she...?" "You've ticked me off before, you'll probably do it again." Taichi sighed. "I just wish the good part of this day would come..." Yamato leaned back in his chair, bringing the front two legs off the floor. "It will. Now quit yammering and think about other stuff." "Like what?" "Oh, the fact that you just downed an entire tray of cafeteria food, which you have always hated, and didn't even blink." Taichi looked down at his empty tray. "Excuse me, Matt." He stood up. "I have to get to the bathroom...I gotta puke..." Yamato grinned wickedly as his friend disappeared in the sea of students. He didn't understand why Taichi was so worked up. If she liked him, she liked him, and if not, then she didn't. Simple. Then again, Yamato had never really been in love. He really couldn't understand it, he supposed. He wondered, briefly, what his friend was going through--and wondered if he was missing anything. There had been that girl across the street, once, who claimed she liked him, but nothing ever came of that. Yamato knew that a lot of girls thought he was handsome--"a total DiCaprio," one girl had said, not knowing he could hear her--and he rather enjoyed annoying girls by not being interested. Oh, well, maybe someday it would make sense to him.

Koushirou Izumi sat at a computer in the school library. It was his study hall time, and he was glad. Granted, he had his laptop, but if he used that, he'd be required to sit in the actual study hall. By claiming he had to use the school computer for research--which wasn't a lie, he did have research to do--he could get a pass to the library. And the library was the best place to be today. The library was much stricter about the "no-talking" rule than the study hall. And, frankly, Koushirou was sick of the conversations going on in study hall. And at lunch. And before and after every class, and in the bathrooms, ubiquitous throughout school. It was all valentines, valentines, valentines. Was there nothing else important going on in the world? And why did people have to be so noisy about it? He thought that love and romance were delicate subjects, more meaningfully discussed in quiet tones in private places, not yelled at lung capacity across a tumultuous gymnasium. Seriously, if a girl liked a guy, she'd tell him. If she was too shy, she might just not be worth having. It was driving Koushirou insane. And then the whole bit of other guys--some acquaintances, some not--asking who he wanted a valentine from. Why should they care? He didn't probe into their lives, asking them such personal questions. Things only close friends should ask. And he really didn't want a valentine. He'd bought his mom a rose, and she'd give both him and his dad a box of chocolates, and they'd have dinner, watch some TV, and go to bed. No big deal. He sighed and scrolled down another webpage with one of those cool mouses that had a wheel in between the buttons. He'd have to look into getting one for his computer at home...

Finally, the last of the school day arrived. Sora sighed in relief as the final bell rang. She gathered her things and scurried out of the classroom. She got out in the hall and looked up to her left. Taichi was coming out of his last class, across the hall. "Tai!" she called. Taichi looked up and caught sight of her. "Meet me on the soccer field ASAP!" A wolf whistle sounded from some anonymous kid, but both Taichi and Sora ignored it and Taichi nodded an eager yes.

Mimi fought the swarms of kids heading for the door and looked for classroom number 307. 304, 306. She looked at the other side of the hall. 307. She entered the room slowly, almost cautiously. He was still sitting there at his desk, just like she'd figured he would be. "Joe?" Jyou looked up. "Mimi? Hi. What are you doing here?" Mimi blushed. "I--I have something for you." She produced a package wrapped in pink paper from behind her back. There was a red heart-shaped sticker holding the paper in place, and scribbled next to it in red gel pen were the words "To Joe, from Mimi. Happy V-Day." "For me?" he asked, curiously. There was no way she could mean that pretty present for him. "Yes, for you." She pushed it not-so-gently into is hands. "Open it!" "Oh...okay." He unwrapped it like he did all presents, running his fingers under the edges and lifting the tape very carefully, mindful of the paper. It was a square box of chocolates, and a card in a pink envelope that matched the paper. He opened the card. It was handmade, by Mimi. A piece of white, thick paper, with a pink heart drawn on it. Inside the heart were red letters reading, "Mimi+Joe?" He looked up at her. She was blushing, far past the pink of the wrapping paper and fast approaching the red of the heart sticker. "Happy Valentine's Day, Joe. Will you--would you like to be mine? I--I love you." Jyou stood from his desk, abandoning the chocolates to focus on Mimi, taking her hands in his and moving to stand very close to her. So close... "I love you, too, Mimi..." he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "Happy Valentine's Day." His soft speaking of the words she'd longed to hear stirred the air, tickling her nose. He leaned down a bit and pressed his lips to hers. She threw her arms around his neck and smiled around his kiss. Her first kiss. This was the Valentine's Day they'd both remember for the rest of their lives.

Takeru Takaishi was almost to the bus when he heard it. "T.K.!" He turned to see who called him. "Hey, Kari!" He walked towards her. "What's up?" She smiled. "I wanted to give you this." She pulled a box of chocolates from behind her back and gave it to him. "Just 'cause you're my very best friend." Takeru smiled. "Thanks, Kari. That's so sweet." "You're welcome." Takeru opened the lid and took out one chocolate, and held the box towards her. "Take one!" "But I just gave them to you!" He tilted his head at her. "Just do it." She took one and he carefully replaced the lid so none of the precious sweets would be damaged. He held his candy up as if to make a chocolate toast. "To being best friends!" Kari laughed and held hers up, tapping his. "Best friends!" They both ate their chocolates. "Kari?" "Hmm?" "Let's always be friends, okay?" Hikari blinked at him. "Okay." The next-to-last kid scrambling aboard the bus turned around. "Hey, T.K.! You're gonna miss your ride if you don't hurry up!" Takeru gasped. "I gotta go, Kari! See you tomorrow!" He ran for his bus and disappeared behind the yellow-framed glass panes. Hikari watched his bus drive away, and then... "Oh, man! I have a bus to catch, too! Oh, great..."

Yamato and Koushirou shared a seat on the bus like they always did. Takeru was in the seat in front of them, and he leaned over the seat to offer the two a chocolate. "Thanks, little bro," Yamato said, taking a chocolate and passing one to Koushirou. "Where'd you get 'em?" Takeru blinked. "From Kari." "Nice of you to share Valentine chocolates." "Yeah, thanks," Koushirou added. "She gave them to me because we're very best friends!" Takeru said, smilingly. Yamato grinned. "That's great, T.K.." Takeru's seatmate, a boy his own age, tugged at his sleeve, and Takeru sat back down to share the wealth. Yamato turned his face away from the window, facing Izzy. "It's kind of sad when an almost-sixteen-year-old guy gets not so much as a card or a glance on Valentine's Day and his just-turned-eleven-year-old brother hits paydirt with a girl." He bit into his chocolate thoughtfully. "Ooh, cherry filling." Koushirou wrinkled his nose. "You like someone?" Yamato stifled a laugh. "Nah. It's just that usually some chick gives me a present hoping it'll make me like her. It doesn't work. It takes a lot more than a box of chocolate to impress Ishida." Koushirou nodded. "I'll have to agree with you there. This holiday is utterly irrelevant. We don't even get off of school." "I think that's because of all those people who actually want to give or get Valentines, y'know? Some people may not know where their crush lives, and they want to give their gift at school." "Next year, I'm faking sick. I almost did get sick, listening to all those mentally deteriorative conversations." Yamato groaned in agreement. "Yeah, I think I'll try to catch it from you. I had to spend half the lunch hour listening to Tai rambling over the same thing over and over..." "Sora?" "I was right! I told him everyone knew she liked him but him..." Koushirou laughed. "I'll bet even T.K. and Kari have noticed." "Well, T.K. has. But anyway, it was kind of funny near the end. See, he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing, and he ate and entire tray from the cafeteria..." "Is he okay?" Koushirou asked, the concern in his voice not there sarcastically. "Well, he left, headed for the bathroom. He swears all he did was wash his mouth out in the sink, but other sources say he hurled..." Koushirou's eyes widened. "I always knew mystery meat was deadly. He's probably lucky he did hurl, it kept it from contaminating his immune system..." Yamato did laugh that time. "Yeah...either way, the evidence is down the drain, so I guess we'll never know." "So Tai and Sora are getting together?" "Yeah, probably. I heard a rumor about Mimi asking some people where Joe's classroom was, but for all I know she was looking for a tutor, so I guess we'll see tomorrow." "Yeah, guess so..."

Taichi sat on the bottom row of bleachers, on the end nearest the school, using a soccer ball for an ottoman. Had Sora decided to stand him up? Was she just forgetting about it? After an eternity, he finally saw her coming. He thought about running to meet her, but turned the idea down in favor of watching her walk towards him. The way she moved was enchanting, really. "Hi, Tai." He stood as she got closer. "Hey, Sora...what's up?" "Oh, not much..." she set her backpack where he had been sitting. "How about you?" "No, not that much..." Sora was fishing through her backpack. At last, she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a small package and handed it to Taichi, blushing. "Happy Valentine's Day, Tai." He opened the package quickly, stuffing the paper in his backpack to throw away later. "Aw, Sora, chocolate? And a robot? You didn't have to..." "I wanted to, Tai." Taichi set his presents atop his backpack and gulped. "And, besides, weren't you the one who left me the rose?" She pointed to it, sticking out of a pocket of her backpack. She took one step closer to him, and although their proximity was starting to affect Taichi, he didn't dare to take a step back. "I--I--yeah. You knew?" She grinned, and took his hand. "Yeah...I knew." She'd lowered her voice and she smiled at him, making him nervous. He took one half-step closer to her. Any closer and they'd be hugging. "I...I..." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her with all he had. She kissed him back, tentatively at first, and stronger as the moments progressed. When they finally had to come up for air, he smiled down at her. Their noses were still touching. Taichi broke the silence. "I...I...I'm having a really hard time thinking right about now..." "I love you, Tai..." "Way to make it harder...I love you, too, Sora...would...would you...would you like to be...my...my girlfriend?" She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again in answer.